Aug. 30, 2006

Lower Scores, Fewer Students

Mean scores on the SAT fell this year by more than they have in decades. A five-point drop in critical reading, to 503, was the largest decline since 1975 and the two-point drop in mathematics, to 518, was the largest dip since 1978.

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Gaps among racial and ethnic groups continued to be significant on the SAT, including the new writing test, for which the first mean scores were released at the College Board’s annual SAT briefing on Tuesday. The board also reported a small decline in the total number of people who took the test, and while board officials insisted at a news conference that the decline was across the board, they acknowledged later Tuesday that the board’s own data suggest that the decline appears to be among students from the lowest income families.

The percentage of SAT test takers with family incomes up to $30,000 was 19 percent for the high school class of 2006, down from 22 percent a year ago. The share of SAT test takers from families with incomes greater than $100,000 was 24 percent, up from 21 percent a year ago.

Gaston Caperton, president of the College Board, provided a generally upbeat assessment of the year’s results, saying that the new writing test was off to a strong start, both strengthening the SAT and encouraging high schools to focus on writing skills. He attributed the drops in SAT scores to a decline in the number of students who took the test more than once. Fifty-three percent of students did so, down from 56 percent the previous year. Repeat test takers tend to improve their scores, Caperton noted, and students tend to alter their test-taking behavior in years when the SAT undergoes major changes, as was the case this year.

In light of these changes, he said he wasn’t concerned about the one-year drops, although he remained seriously concerned that too many students are not taking rigorous courses in high school that lead to their doing well on the SAT and in college. He said that the average drops in SAT scores didn’t even amount to a single additional question being answered incorrectly.

A reporter at the briefing asked Caperton why in previous years — as SAT scores inched upward — he had implied that those increases were signs of real progress, while he was playing down the impact of larger decreases. Caperton said that “I think we tend to overemphasize a few points here or there.”

Christine Parker, who runs the SAT and ACT preparation programs for the Princeton Review, said that she was struck by the tone of the College Board’s materials on this year’s scores. “It’s pretty clear that the board is on the defensive about these decreases,” she said. She thinks that one reason the retesting totals are down is that more students are taking the ACT and the SAT and figuring out which score will help them the most with colleges, rather than simply retaking the SAT.

Many high school guidance counselors — not to mention SAT test takers — complained that the addition of the writing test made the SAT too long, and there has been much discussion of whether “SAT fatigue” contributed to the decline in scores.

But Wayne Camara, vice president for research and psychometrics at the board, said that the duration of the test had “no impact” on student scores, and that College Board officials have examined the rates at which students answer questions correctly or incorrectly or don’t answer at all during all portions of the test. No link is evident between how long a student has been taking the test and the quality of answers, he said. The College Board has said that it will study the idea of letting students take different parts of the SAT at different times, and Camara said Tuesday that any determination on that idea was at least a year away.

As has been the case in past years, clear gaps were evident by racial and ethnic groups, with Asian and white students doing much better than other groups.

Mean SAT Scores by Ethnicity, 2006

Group	Critical Reading	Mathematics	Writing
American Indian	487	494	474
Asian	510	578	512
African American	434	429	428
Mexican American	454	465	452
Puerto Rican	459	456	448
Other Hispanic	458	463	450
White	527	536	519
Other	494	513	493
Race unknown	487	506	482
All	503	518	497

Also consistent with past years, men outscored women — 505 to 502 on critical reading and 536 to 502 on mathematics. But women had higher mean scores — 502 to 491 — on the new writing test. In some areas, subgroups of women outperformed men. For example, black women outscored black men on critical reading.

In most recent years, the total number of people taking the SAT has generally increased, but that was not the case this year, when there was a slight drop — of just under 10,000 students — out of a total of more than 1.4 million students who took the exam. During the press briefing, College Board officials insisted that the decline was not significant and that data indicated that it was across the board and not linked to any demographic group.

College Board data, however, show that the share of SAT test takers from the lowest income groups declined this year, while the share from the highest income group increased.

SAT Population by Income Level, 2005-6

Income Level	% of Test Takers 2005	% of Test Takers 2006
Less Than $10,000	5	4
$10,000-$20,000	8	7
$20,000-$30,000	9	8
$30,000-$40,000	10	10
$40,000-$50,000	9	8
$50,000-$60,000	9	9
$60,000-$70,000	8	8
$70,000-$80,000	8	9
$80,000-$100,000	13	13
More than $100,000	21	24

The shares of test takers for those in the three categories up to $30,000 as well as those in $40,000-$50,000 declined this year, while there were increases for $70,000-$80,000 and those from families with incomes over $100,000.

The ACT — which has been seeing increases in test takers, many of them people who also take the SAT — uses slightly different income levels for its demographic comparisons. But ACT data show that there have not been notable changes among the share of test takers from various income groups, and that a much smaller share of students (10 percent) comes from families with incomes greater than $100,000.

Camara, in an interview after the briefing, acknowledged that the numbers are striking enough to suggest that the decline in test takers may be primarily from certain economic groups, but he said more study would be needed. He said that many students incorrectly report family income so he is skeptical of reading too much into answers on that question. Camara said he pays more attention to the question about parents’ educational background.

But there too, the College Board’s data suggest that the disappearing test takers are not coming from a broad cross section of the population. From 2005 to 2006, the percentage of SAT test takers whose parents’ highest degree is a high school diploma or an associate degree declined while the percentage of SAT test takers whose parents have bachelor’s or graduate degrees increased.

Camara said it was important to figure out what these drops mean because of the need to avoid having “students fall through the cracks.”

One reason that economic demographics are important to the College Board is that the SAT mean scores follow a consistent pattern in which increases in family income correlate directly with scores.

SAT Mean Scores by Income Level, 2006

Income Level	Critical Reading	Mathematics	Writing
Less Than $10,000	429	457	427
$10,000-$20,000	445	465	440
$20,000-$30,000	462	474	454
$30,000-$40,000	478	488	470
$40,000-$50,000	493	501	483
$50,000-$60,000	500	509	490
$60,000-$70,000	505	515	496
$70,000-$80,000	511	521	502
$80,000-$100,000	523	534	514
More than $100,000	549	564	543

This year was the first with the writing test, with the most interest in the essay portion of that test. Essays are graded by two readers, providing scores on a scale of 1 to 6 for a maximum of 12. The College Board released the following information about the first year of essays and their scoring, based on overall averages and an in-depth study the board conducted of a sample of essays:

Most essays received very similar scores from the two readers, with 97 percent of essays having scores that differed by one point or less. (Those with larger gaps had third readers.)
The average essay score was 7.2 out of 12, with women leading men 7.4 to 7.1.
Longer essays on average received slightly higher scores.
Half of the essays used first person, but average scores were slightly higher for those who did not use the first person.
Only 8 percent of essays used the standard five-paragraph essay structure.

— Scott Jaschik

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Comments

African Americans and the SAT

This is disheartening and yet shows the type of excuses the leadership is still making for the failure of low income, poor, and predominantly minority children who are failing in the schools. No, it is not completely the fault of the white populace but it is a sad continued legacy in this country that immigrants can come to this country and out perform those who were historically victimized, discriminated against, and disenfranchised for more than 300 years as slaves and Native Americans. This is mere proof as well that No Child Left behind is in fact forcing children out and leaving a lot behind by eliminating them from the testing procedures to assess their progress and/or instilling fear in them so they avoid the tests altogether. We have spent nearly a trillion dollars on a war in Iraq and yet could not give African Americans who contributed more than $25 trillion dollars in slave labor to the US economy and bottom accounting line (MONEY THAT HAS BEEN INVESTED AND REINVESTED A MILLION FOLD). They requested below a mere $100 billion dollars in either funding or hard cash to improve their education, save their farms (that are being stolen by governments, larger farmers, judges, and other collaborators), improve their education, save families through programs, and finally deliver the 40 acres and a mule (i.e. jobs, homes, land, and money now worth more than $100,000) to them as promised over 150 years ago.

This report is a sad testimony against this nation in many respects but it is also a witness to the world that when you set up a people and plan their failure the consequences will last for generations to come. These failures can be seen in the African America community — the lowest group academically in this report. The legacy of slavery was, in the words of Frederick Douglas, intended to leave the African American slaves and his/her descendants: without father, mother, family, God, churches, governments that care, peers, community, education, jobs, money, personal growth and development, and in the final analysis, an unsuccessful person in all respects. It has done exactly that and we continue to make excuses, discriminate, incarcerate, disenfranchise, engage in racial profiling, job restrictions, and the like that is still harming the African American community, families, students, people, and entire nation in so many ways.

Sincerely,

Lester L. Washington, MA, M.ED. ABDColorado State University, FC

Lester L. Washington, ABD, Mr. at Colorado State University, Ft. Collins, at 12:25 pm EDT on August 30, 2006

Only 8 percent used standard essay structure

The standard five-paragraph essay structure is a learning tool only. It normally is introduced to high school students to provide them with a basic structure they can relate to when learning to write solid essays.

High school is a time when we expect our students to take the next step in the process of learning to write easily and well. It should be a time when they begin to solidify their voices as writers. The standard five-paragraph essay structure is a step in that process; one which we should hope our students will master — and move beyond.

Heaven help us if we begin to expect that well-written essays can only have the standard five-paragraph essay structure. What a bland world that would create readers.

Robert Karrow, at 12:25 pm EDT on August 30, 2006

Slaves?

“but it is a sad continued legacy in this country that immigrants can come to this country and out perform those who were historically victimized, discriminated against, and disenfranchised for more than 300 years as slaves and Native Americans.”

Who is being victimized, discriminated against, and disenfranchised as a slave? Where are these “slaves,” and why hasn’t their slavery been contested under the Thirteenth Amendment?

JBM, at 1:30 pm EDT on August 30, 2006

SAT Scores Drop/Fewer Students Take Test

I find it very interesting that the CollegeBoard continues to so vigorously support what appears to be a sinking ship. No matter how they “fix” things, scores continue downwards.

I’ve always questioned the reliability of this test. In light of the shifting numbers between SAT and ACT takers (ACT is on the rise), I’m not the minority any more.

Lynn Byrne, Educational Consultant at Hill Country ECS, at 5:10 pm EDT on August 30, 2006

Details?

“No matter how they “fix” things, scores continue downwards.”

If the slide is due to declining skills, there is nothing for the test designers to “fix.” You seems to posit that the declining scores indicate a problem with the test, and not with student skills. Why? Radically declining student skills are unmistakable within only a few moments of classroom exposure.

“I’ve always questioned the reliability of this test. In light of the shifting numbers between SAT and ACT takers (ACT is on the rise), I’m not the minority any more.”

Given abysmal student skills that we confront every day, why do you posit that rising scores on the ACT are more reliable than declining SAT scores? Why do you accept without question ACT scores, but not SAT scores?

JBM, at 7:25 pm EDT on August 30, 2006

Family Income Influences Test Results

As the statistics indicate, family income influences test results in all subjects measured. Family income determines where people live, and wealthy families generally live in communities with quality schools.

Rather than measuring the potential a student has to succeed in college, I suspect the SAT provides a more accurate measurement of how much unmerited privilege the student has been given.

Jackie, at 5:35 am EDT on August 31, 2006

SAT issues

JBM-

The SAT I has been a major issue for a very long time. (See http://www.fairtest.org/facts/satvalidity.html). I won’t go into detail as I’m sure you can read. Declining test scores likely have very little to do with college readiness (or lack thereof) and a gread deal to do with an inability to properly coach students to pass as they keep “fixing” the test (yes, indeed, you can coach a student to pass the SAT, if they’d quit “fixing” it long enough for coaches to realign their prep materials).

If a standardized exam must be administered, and I will never agree that these are needed to prove college readiness, then why not use the ACT? At least that test is more in line with high school curriculum (which is probably why students achieve better scores—they’re being tested on something they may actually know) and you’re likely to get a better idea of whether or not a student at least knows high school material.

Lynn Byrne, Educational Consultant at Hill Country ECS, at 5:35 am EDT on August 31, 2006

Income and SAT scores

The correlation between SAT scores and income is remarkable. Without exception, scores on all three exams increase with income level. To some extent this reflects the fact that wealthy people have greater access to test preparation. But it also suggests that in a society with considerable economic mobility, educational achievement and perhaps simply native intelligence is a very good predictor of financial success.

For those who are concerned with growing income disparity, perhaps the answers lie in increasing the wages of jobs that do not require a great deal of education, socializing more of the cost of living through subsidizing medical costs, transportation and other services, and equalizing the money spent in all school districts.

We need to find a balance between rewarding people according to their achievements relative to others, with rewarding people according to how much they live up to their potential. We don’t want to have a society that discourages excellence and innovation but we also don’t want a society that creates vast numbers of impoverished people buried in generations of hopelessness.

Creating public policy to deal with these contradictory needs is not easy and will require a great deal of honesty and thoughtfulness.

Jonathan Cohen, at 5:35 am EDT on August 31, 2006

“At least that test is more in line with high school curriculum (which is probably why students achieve better scores—they’re being tested on something they may actually know)”

Which does not necessarily relate to what they need to know to succeed in college. I do not care about testing on high school curricula: I want to know about basic skills. That is why I am not jarred by declining SAT scores: They correspond to declining skills I see every day in class.

“and you’re likely to get a better idea of whether or not a student at least knowshigh school material.”

This is a non sequitur. Nothing about testing to a specific high school’s curriculum makes it more likely that students know what should be covered in high school. God knows what some high schools are teaching. All I know is that they are not sending me even minimally literate students.

JBM, at 10:15 am EDT on August 31, 2006

As the College Board people point out, the drop in scores can be accounted for by the fact that the numbers of repeat test takers dropped. The actual drop amounts to about one fifth of a question on the math section and about a half a question on the critical reading. The SAT is used to predict first year grades in college and to some extent college success. It does about as good a job as does high school grade point average. When it is combined with HSGPA and other standardized tests such as the SAT II’s it does an even better job. The test predicts grades as well for African American students as it does for white students.No one holds college admissions officers feet to the fire and insists how much they should use the test in admissions or indeed, that they must use the test at all. Many selective colleges have dropped the SAT; most haven’t. With those colleges that have made the test optional, it’s not clear that the decision is anything more than a marketing tool to attract students.

Patrick Mattimore, Teacher, at 10:15 am EDT on August 31, 2006

SAT Scores—Minority Performance

Before entering my second career at the college level I spent 35 years in a very progressive mid-western k-12 system (30% minority—mostly Black but some Hispanic and Asian and lower average income than neighboring districts) being a teacher, then a curriculum coordinator and finishing as a HS principal.

I really get “crabby” when people start throwing out the “race card.” Back in the 80s I noticed student performace went from a rather bell-shaped curve to the hour-glass. Students either decided to perform in class or it wasn’t important.

Generally it comes down to motivation. I got many low income minorities to achieve in rigiorous courses but it depended almost totally on family expectations and student motivation. Many in the black community reject recent comments by leading Black leaders such as Bill Cosby—they prefer the “victim language” of “you are not doing enough for me.” For the most part, opportunities are present if a student chooses to grasp them—but they never will as long as there is an “entitlement” mentality.

PS—I was never a great standardized test taker—I graduated and advanced in my career by out-working the “other guy.”

Reg Shoesmith, at 11:15 am EDT on August 31, 2006

SAT as Predictor of Success

I’m sorry, but the SAT is no better a predictor of college success than any other admissions criteria. Bates College made the SAT optional eons ago. They did a longitudinal study over a 20 year period comparing the performance of students admitted based on “good” SAT scores against the performance of students admitted based on high school performance (transcripts, GPA) and found that those with “good” SAT scores did not fare any better than other students. You can find the Bates Study online.

By forcing students to take a test that doesn’t adequately measure aptitude (though it is a good measure of how well you can take a standardized test) and has no true connection to performance, you limit access to higher ed.

Why on earth would anyone want to do that?

As for whether admissions officers HAVE to use the test, it’s up to their school. Many liberal arts colleges have ceased requiring the SAT and others have at least made it optional. But there are a ton of public universities that still require this test.

Lynn Byrne, Educational Consultant at Hill Country ECS, at 12:05 pm EDT on August 31, 2006

reasoning with numbers

Fewer low-income students doesn’t correlate well with the assertion that there are fewer retakers. Are low-income students really the most likely re-takers? One would like to see more statistics from the past about this, as one expects low income to be a barrier to repeated test-taking.

Since income does seem to correlate directly to performance, fewer low-income test takers suggests that the overall differences may be greater than the piece-of-a-question resulting from straight averaging. Those who didn’t take the test would, on average, have brought scores down, according to the income/performance correlation. This means that without them, the average scores of the remaining test-takers should’ve been higher than usual by some amount.

1% of students each vanished from the under-$10,000, $10,000-$20,000, and $20,000-$30,000 family-income ranges, and they were compensated for by 3% more in the above-$100,000 range. The average difference between a $10,000-$20,000 range (the middle of the three lower income bins) student and an above-$100,000 range student on critical reading was 104 points, and on mathematics, it was 99 points.Multiply these differences by 3/100 and you’ll find a (rounded) expected difference of +3 points on critical reading and on mathematics. So the differences in scores are actually about the size one would expect given the economic-demographic shift that took place this year, but negative instead of positive. Compared to expectations adjusted for the tested population, the scores are lower by about twice as much as when one compares without adjusting.

Thane Doss, at 1:16 pm EDT on August 31, 2006

Briefly, while I would agree that there are economical, social, and historical reasons why Blacks and Native Americans may be scoring less than their peers, I just want to add that the constant negative images associated with these groups in the sciences, arts and media make it hard to imagine a “motivation” to succeed.

Jesus America, give it a rest!

Anonymous, Race cards and all..., at 1:50 pm EDT on August 31, 2006

SAT comments

Perhaps the drop in test scores may be due to: 1. teachers are teaching for the All Children Get Left Behind policies; 2. kids are more stupid/ignorant/illiterate...or just more poorly taught by less qualified teachers.3. As for the race issue—I’d think that the drive to succeed would be internal, so parenting would play a role. It is OK to have NO TV in one’s house. Why are Asians doing so well?? They were not on the Mayflower—-why can’t whatever they are doing that causes high/est scores be spread to all the students?

anon, PhD, at 2:46 pm EDT on August 31, 2006

Keep the SAT

Addressing some comments here... 1. The SAT has about a.47 positive correlation with first year grades in college- a relatively strong correlation and about the same as high school grade point average. 2. The fact that there were less repeat test takers is significant b/c scores on retest are usually around 30 points higher. The most likely explanation for the decreased numbers of repeat takers was the huge increase in students (particularly East and West coast) taking the ACT instead. 3. It seems inevitable with a test in which a minority race scores 300 points (approximately) below other races (whites and Asians) that the bias flag will be raised (on the old test the average was around 200 points). I must admit that I don’t get why people insist that we should do away with the test b/c certain races don’t do as well on it. Non-Asian minorities consistently underperform in school- standardized tests and GPA. Once we get past the Bell Curve conclusions about racial intellectual inferiority, we are left with (a) less opportunities and/or (b) less motivation. Whether you come down on the largely liberal side (less opportunities) or conservative side (less motivation) really has nothing to do with the test itself. To analogize to sports- If we set a high bar at 6 feet for a high jump competition, should we reset the bar because some people can’t clear it? The reason that people can’t clear the bar shouldn’t matter. Maybe the jumpers are inadequately trained or got insufficient jumping genes or don’t try. No matter. We can still do a good job of judging without moving the bar to accommodate the failed jumpers.Now I realize that success in college may not be as black or white as clearing a bar but that is why the SAT is but one of the measures used in the high stakes admission competition.

Patrick Mattimore, Teacher, at 3:46 pm EDT on August 31, 2006

Every article I read on this subject assumes that students with high scores have spent a lot of time and money preparing for the SAT/ACT. Has this been proven? In my personal experience as a parent of a 12th grader, the students with the very highest scores (near perfect on a single try)did not spend one penny—or even one hour—preparing for either the ACT or the SAT (my son and several friends are included). I believe that at the highest level, at least, these tests are identifying students with the greatest academic potential. It didn’t hurt that these kids take school and studying very seriously. As for comparing test scores and college performance, I do not believe the studies actually look at specific majors. All majors are not created equal. Further, we all know plenty of people who “succeeded” by changing their field of study from a rigorous one to an easy one. Perhaps this is why engineering schools still want to see those test scores. Let’s fix the real problem, our abysmal K-12 education system, rigged to prevent school choice by the poorest kids, and stop blaming tests that present the proof that our system needs a thorough overhaul.

anon, at 8:45 pm EDT on August 31, 2006

Reading skills;Writing;Sat scores=Loss of funding & education

According to this writing the parents education is looked at higher then income.If this is correct what a joke the educational system is today when PHD’s can’t even make a decent living to afford their childrens education.Apparently it is better just to remain ignorant for your children’s sake these days? Is this the continuation of lose benefits when some are allegedly earned? The children must have test questions read to them due to their lack of skill in reading, not to mention writing skills due to the inability to spell the first words in the first sentence of an essay!Where will it end?Is this a well thought out plan?

anonymous, at 8:45 pm EDT on August 31, 2006

A Child Has Been Left Behind

Annually, the SAT’s are utilized to assess the level of education that has been granted to the US populous. Annually we have placed our eyes on statistics and translated them to be something that they are not. Our president developed a plan that sought to place all students on a level playing field but unexpectedly created a larger divide. The SAT’s proves that those living in the lower echelons of this country do not have access to equal education and resources. It also proves that the current educational system (teaching 1950’s philosophies to the millenium scholars) is failing.

Let’s not leave another child behind. Adjustments need to be made in curriculum (K-12) to reflect the information age and not the age of the dinosaurs.

Milton Jackson, Resident Hall Director at Eastern Connecticut State University, at 12:25 pm EDT on September 3, 2006

Lazy Students vs hard-working

None of the SAT statistics mention which students come from broken homes, welfare households, or single-parent families vs two-earner. ‘Higher income’ often means two wage earner families, more stability, less welfare ‘victim’ mentality. In California, the parents could be a union back-hoe operator (’ditch digger’)and a factory worker and make $100,000/yr. In urban parts of the west and east coasts, one has to make $150,000k/yr just to buy a small house or Condo (vs $30k/yr in some parts of the country), so the given income statistics do not mean much about parent education or lifestyle. Why not have the statistics question be if the child’s main provider is a homeowner vs renter, instead of by income level? The blacks in Africa are embarasssed by the victim mentality and sense of entitlement of the “lazy” blacks in America, and tend to have no sympathy for them at all. America is creating the same laziness with those who come over the border to the south, who know the easy availability of discounted or free food, medical care, and education we give their children. Some are even from well-to-do families in their home country, but they see an easy opportunity. The children of ‘lazy’ free-loader parents generally grow up to be welfare parents themselves, since that is all they know. As a society, we must deal with the symptoms of these values and ethics.My 12th grade melatonin-impaired son says that the majority of students in his ‘United Nations’-style urban public high school (which has NO minorities or majorities, and most kids are of multi-ethnic backgrounds) are bored and don’t pay attention in class. It is understandable since the teachers are only allowed to teach as fast as the slowest kid can learn, and the schools are NOT allowed to separate out the ‘mensa-impaired’ and lazy into separate sections, since that is considered discrimination. It is frustrating for teachers AND the students! No wonder his school shows up poorly on the state-wide tests. The Honors courses have many Asians (Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese), and the few hard-working whites/part-whites in his school, and the honors programs are the only redeeming thing; however, they keep getting cut out of the district budget as more money is put into the ‘no child left behind’ and free lunch programs.

Many of the Asian families recently came to this country with just the clothes on their back and little knowledge of the English language, and yet on the SAT’s their children are surpassing the blacks [who are 4 or 5 generations removed from their slavery heritage], and even many whites. The Japanese that were interned in camps as children are now Engineers, business leaders, and professors. They all see this country as the Land of Opportunity, as our forefathers intended, and do not expect any free handouts. Many Asians were simple farmers in their homeland, and yet their children’s math scores are through the ceiling.

Personal values and work ethics is what makes the difference.

Neither one is *directly* tested by SATs (we only test some of the symptoms), nor even asked about, but it is the most deciding factor (even beyond education) when it comes to the value a citizen can contribute to society.

What can we do to bring good values and work ethics to the forefront in other peoples children? It is difficult, but as they say, it ‘takes a village’ to raise a [good] child.

Susan, Su at Brown Univ Engr, at 2:00 pm EDT on September 5, 2006

Poor SAT scores tied to a lack of motivation

Several people have commentated on the fact that they believe the low scores of blacks are in part due to a lack of motivation. From working with inner city students I agree with these statements, however I don’t find the lackadaisical attitude and disinterest in education to be shocking/surprising or unwarranted given the fact they are the by products of community that has been structurally disenfranchised for generations.

When one is raised by family and live within a community where hoplesness is so pervasive that it invades every facet of your neighborhood I don’t find it unrealistic to expect that, this person would also embody these traits and lack any real ambition or drive (yes, there is the small percentage of those who are resilient enough to overcome their situation and create a better life for themselves, but for the most part those who live in such communities tend to be plagued by despair. So much so that often times they don’t even realize how hopeless they truly are ). Communities of economically disadvantaged people of color have been trapped in cycle of desperation for centuries, this is nothing new. The discourse should not focus around the fact that they fall short of the bar because they lack motivation, but rather how we can inspire them to reach for the bar.

RI, at 11:50 am EDT on September 8, 2006

Correlation depends on the source

This UC study found that SAT I scores only determined 7% of freshman year variance:

http://www.universityofcalifornia...committees/boars/admissionstests.pdf

SAT II scores(which test on more advanced material directly related to coursework) were a far better indicator (23% of variation). High school gpa accounted for 27% of variation.

The SAT I doesn’t even test algebra 2, trigonometry, or calculus, so more selective colleges are going to have to rely on SAT IIs and AP tests to ensure their students are academically prepared anyway.

LL, at 4:30 am EST on December 15, 2006

Susan... is she racist?

hmmm. Maybe. But more importantly is that our schools are racist. Susan might need to go to an anti-racism training to learn about institutionalized racism. I suggest the Peoples Institute out of New Orleans.

Sorry, but after all that talk about race and laziness I read her last sentence: “What can we do to bring good values and work ethics to the forefront in other peoples children?” Lets start by not considering kids as “other peoples children". And lets think about who the “WE” is. and exactly who’s values are “good"? That is precisely the problem with how our students are being taught, or judged. Deciding some one is lazy, good, bad, and when teachers cant reach the students, it’s the students fault.

TEACHERS need to find a way to reach the students, its their job. Regardless of background, teachers need to reach out of THEIR comfort zone and find a way to reach these “lazy” students. DON’T BLAME THE KIDS! Look up some tools on using hip hop to teach.. (if that made you laugh, you really need to get in touch with the what’s really motivating students to get engaged)

Sarah, at 1:06 pm EDT on April 11, 2007

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DeVry University

As one of the largest degree-granting higher education systems in North America, DeVry University provides high-quality, ... see job

Director of Post-Enrollment Services
Kaplan Virtual Education

Position yourself on the cutting edge of education. Join the successful team at Kaplan Virtual Education, a thriving division ... see job

Admissions Coordinator
New York University

Help change the direction of MBA applicants’ lives by joining a collaborative team of elite professionals in the MBA ... see job

Recruiter
Western New Mexico University

Western New Mexico University, a public, comprehensive, regional institution serving a diverse multicultural population of ... see job

Director of African American Student Programs
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

The University of Minnesota is a premier employer and a talent magnet attracting leading faculty and staff from around the ... see job

Admissions Representative
Corinthian Colleges

Everest Institute is a world-class educational institution and a rapidly growing part of Corinthian Colleges, Inc. At ... see job

Associate Director of Admissions, San Fernando Valley Campus
University of La Verne

Position #2929 – Associate Director of Admissions, San Fernando Valley Campus The University of La Verne has an opening for ... see job

Recruitment & Outreach Coordinator (1SS08)
Aiken Technical College

Hiring Range: $30,274 — $43,144 Pay Band: 5 State Classification: Administrative Coordinator I JOB DESCRIPTION: Recruit ... see job

Senior Assistant Director: Visitor Center (112111)
Northeastern University

Northeastern University, founded in 1898 and located in Boston, is a private research university that is a leader in ... see job